Foot-operated night light



Jan. 16, 1962 J. ALBRIGHT FOOT-OPERATED NIGHT LIGHT Filed Oct. 22, 1959 i [/Vl ENTOR:

' h "JACK L. ,ALBRIGHT- United States Patent Ofiice Patented Jan. 16, 1962 3,017,497 FOOT-OPERATED NIGHT LIGHT Jack L. Albright, 1619 Edgewood Ave., Racine, Wis. Filed Oct. 22, 1959, Ser. No. 848,107 5 Claims. (Cl. 240-2) This invention relates to a night light for use in a bedroom or a like place of installation.

It is an object of this invention to provide a night light which can be disposed on the floor in a convenient location and which can be readily turned on and off by simply stepping on a treadle. This particular object is best accomplished when the light is utilized as a night light in a bedroom and is disposed directly beneath the edge of a bed so that the user can readily step onto the treadle when leaving the bed and he can also step onto the treadle when entering the bed to respectively turn the light on and off, and of couse the light is disposed under the bed so that it will not illuminate the entire room and .disturb other occupants of the bedroom and create like undesirable results.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a foot operated night light which can be readilyv and easily located at night, and which is simple and inexpensive in its construction, but yet completely reliable in its operation.

Still a further object of this invention is to provide a foot operated night light which has no exposed parts, such as hinges which would harmthe foot of ,the user when stepping on the treadle of the night light without protection covering the feet. Also in conjunction with this aforementioned safety feature, is the safety and comfort feature of providing a non-skid surface over the treadle so that the latter can be stepped on without risking slipping and falling of the user, and also the treadle covering material is preferably of a low coeflicient of heat transfer so that it will not become unduly cold and thus uncomfortable to the user when touched by the bare foot even though the light and treadle are located on the bedroom floor which would normally be cold.

Still a further object of this invention is to provide a night light which is readily and easily found in the night as the actuating part thereof is provided with a cover of a luminous material.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent upon reading the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a preferred embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a fragment of that shown in FIG. 1 and taken along the line 22 of FIG. 1.

The same reference numerals refer to the parts be tween the two views.

The drawings show the night light to consist of a supporting or support member which comprises the two wedge-shaped blocks 10 which of course have an inclined upper surface 11 terminating at a lower end 12.

The support or base member may also include a rear part or portion 13 which can be affixed to the blocks 10 in any suitable manner to form the base of the unit in conjunction with the blocks 10. A pushbutton type of electrical switch 14 is shown disposed in the space or cavity between the supporting blocks 10 and the moving part 16 of the switch extends above the plane of the incline 11 of the block 10 as clearly shown in FIG. 2. Of course, the switch 14 can be mounted in the position shown in any suitable manner. nected to the portion 13 to extend thereabove as shown, and electric wires 18 extend between the switch 14 and the lamp 17. Also, a wire 19 is connected to the switch Also, a lamp 17 is con-' current available in the home through the wall outlet, and in this instance, the wire 19 would of course extend to the wall outlet to make the conventional connection therewith. Also, the Wire 19 could extend to the portion 13 wherein batteries 21 are shown, and in this instance, the batteries of course provide the source of power.

It will be further noted that a light reflector or shield 22 is attached to the portion 13 to extend thereabove and over the lamp 17 to thus prevent the light from the lamp 17 from going to the rear of the night light and instead to cast the light only to the front of the night light. Of course, the shield 22 could be removably attached to the portion 13 so that the light 17 could shine in all directions around itself and under the bed where it is disposed. With further regard to the electrical system, it should be understood that the switch 14 is of the conventional pushbutton type such that when the button 16 is depressed and released, the light will come on, and when it is again depressed and released, the light will turn off.

The drawings further show a step plate 23 extending over the support members 10 and thereacross and also across the switch button 16. The step plate 23 and the support members 10 are suitable for supporting the entire weight of the user of the light so that he can stand on the step plate to depress the switch button 16 downwardly a distance'to where the plate 23 abuts the top incline 11 on the support-members 10. Thus, the plate 23 is movable up and down and is incorporated in the structure by being attached to a treadle member 24 which extends over the top of the plate 23 for substantially the width of the light structure. It should be understood that the treadle 24 is preferably of a rubber or other suitable, flexible material such that the member 24 extends around the lower end of the support block 10 in a hinged or curved portion 26, and it also extends beneath blocks 10 in an underneath or fioor portion 27. Thus, it will be understood that the member 24 is of one continuous length extending both above the blocks 10 and below the blocks 10, as shown. Also, the member 24 provides a hinge at the portion 26 so that the step plate 23 can have the action described for the purpose of actuating the switch 14. At this time, it might also be mentioned that the material for the treadle member 24 is of course of a flexible nature; and of a high coefiicient of friction so that there will be no danger of the operator slipping when stepping thereon, and further it will be of a low heat conductivity quality, so that it will not become unduly cold to the touch of the barefoot, and still further, it will be of an electrical insulating material so that there will be no danger of electrical shock in the event of a short in the electrical apparatus employed. Of course, with the material 24 extending both above and below the support members 10, and having the non-skid feature mentioned, it will also be substantially fixed in its position on the floor and will not slip with respect to the floor. Still further, with the incline of the support members 1t) and with of course the treadle 24 also assuming the inclined position, the user can readily step onto the treadle 24 without bumping the foot or toe when approaching the light.

The drawings further show that a sponge rubber or the like block 28 is disposed between the support members 10 to occupy most of the cavity therebetween and it extends between the treadle portion 27 and the step plate 23 as best indicated in FIG. 2. Resilient member 28 is thus depressed by the treadle when the user steps on the latter, and this of course permits the switch button 16 to be depressed. Also, when the user steps off the treadle,

the resilient member 28 will place the treadle back into 3 1'6 will again be relieved of its depressed and thus operating position.

It is also preferred that a luminous tape or coating 29 be attached along the opposite edges of the treadle 24 so that the latter is visible at night by virtue of the member 29 reflecting whenever light is available in the room. Of course the tape 29 also serves to retain the treadle 24 in a position of an upper limit in that the tape 29 can be attached to the treadle 2-4 at both the top and the floor portion 27.

The step plate 23 is preferably made of a material having some flexibility, such as masonite, plywood, or the like. Thus when it is stepped on, it will bend along the center. Note that the opposite side edges 30 of the blocks are of a greater height than the height of the blocks adjacent the switch. This causes the force of stepping to bend the step plate down onto the switch even though the force is applied immediately inside either of the edges 30. Also, understand that the resilient member 28 could, except for the greater height on the block edge 30, present a fulcrum for the step plate to hamper the switch action in certain positions of applying the force. Also note that the area of the upper total surface of the support 10 is several times greater than the span of the space or cavity between the two supports 10, and thus the latter are sturdy for supporting the enire weight of a person.

While a specific embodiment of this invention has been shown and described, it should be obvious that certain changes could be made in the embodiment and the invention should, therefore be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An electric switch actuator for operation by stepping thereon, comprising an electric lamp, an electric switch having a pushbutton of the type set closed when depressed and released and set open when depressed and released, electric wiring connecting said switch with both said lamp and a source of electric power, a support member, said electric lamp being mounted on said support member, said support member being disposed with a declined upper surface extending away from said lamp and presenting a cavity therein of a span less than that of said upper surface and receiving said switch and being sufiiciently sturdy for supporting the weight of a person, a step plate disposed over said pushbutton of said switch and said support member along the decline of the latter, a treadle of a flexible material attached to said sep plate and overlying the same and extending continuously around the lower edge thereof and underneath said support member and being attached to the latter and forming a hinge along said lower edge, and resilient means mounted on said treadle on a portion of the end thereof extending underneath said support member and being disposed beneath said step plate and in contact therewith to be operatively associated with said step plate for yieldingly urging the latter upwardly ofl said support member to provide clearance for up and down movement of said step plate for operation of said switch.

2. An electric switch actuator for operation by step ping thereon, comprising a support member including an inclined upper surface and being suitable for supporting the Weight of a person, an electric lamp attached to said support member and being disposed at the upper end of the incline thereof, an electric switch having a pushbutton and being attached to said support member and having said pushbutton thereof projecting through the plane of the incline thereof, electric wiring connected between said switch and both said lamp and an electric power source, a step plate disposed above said support member and said pushbutton of said switch and along the incline of said support member and being operatively associated with said pushbutton of said switch, resilient means disposed below said step plate and forming a contact with said step plate for yieldingly urging the latter upwardly to provide clearance above said support member for up and down movement of said step plate to operate said switch, and a flexible sheet attached to said step plate and continuously extending around the lower edge of the incline of said support member and beneath the latter and being attached thereto for presenting a treadle for a person to step thereon in turning said lamp on and off, the portion of said sheet extending around said lower edge being folded therealong and flexible for pivotally mounting said step plate with respect to said support member and thereby serving as a hinge for said step plate.

3. A night light for use on a floor and for operation by stepping thereon, comprising an electric lamp, an electric switch having a pushbutton, electric wiring connecting said switch with both said lamp and a source of electric power, a support member, said electric lamp being mounted on said support member, said switch being attached to said support member and projecting through the plane thereof, a step plate disposed over said support member and the pushbutton of said switch for up and down movement to actuate said switch and to abut said support member in the lower limit of movement, resilient means disposed below and in contact with said step plate to support the latter in the upper limit of movement, a flexible sheet attached to said step plate and extending over the upper surface thereof and around an end of said support member and beneath the latter and being attached thereto and forming a hinge for said step plate along said end of said support member, said resilient means being mounted on the end of said flexible sheet extending beneath said support member, and a luminous flexible tape attached to said flexible sheet and extending along the side edges on opposite sides thereof above said step plate and below said support member for flexing with the movement of said step plate and for indicating the borders of the said step plate.

4. A lamp switch actuator for use on a floor for operation by stepping thereon, comprising an electric lamp, an electric switch having a pushbutton of the type set closed when depressed and released and set open when depressed and released, electric wiring connecting said switch with both said lamp and a source of electric power, a support member, said electric lamp being mounted on said support member, said support member including an upper surface having a cavity centrally thereof and said switch attached to said support member and being disposed in said cavity and with said support member being sufficiently sturdy for supporting the weight of a person, the opposite sides of said support member being of a greater height than that of the area surrounding said cavity, a flexible step plate disposed over said pushbutton of said switch and said support member along said upper surface of the latter and extending between said opposite sides, a treadle of a flexible material attached to said step plate and overlying the same and extending continuously around the lower edge thereof intermediate said opposite sides and underneath said support member and being attached to the latter, and resilient means mounted in said actuator on the portion of said treadle extending underneath said support member and spanning said cavity and with said resilient means being operatively associated with said step plate for yieldingly urging the latter upwardly otf said support member to provide clearance for up and down movement of said step plate for operation of said switch.

5. A lamp switch actuator for use on a floor for operation by stepping thereon, comprising an electric lamp, an electric switch having a pushbutton of the type set closed when depressed and released and set open when depressed and released, electric wiring connecting said switch with both said lamp and a source of electric power, a support member, said electric lamp being mounted on said support member, said support member having said switch attached thereto and being disposed with a declined upper surface and surrounding said switch and being sufficiently sturdy for supporting the weight of a person and being of a greater height at the opposite side edges along the decline than the height adjacent said switch, a step plate of a flexible material disposed over said pushbutton of said switch and said support member along the decline of the latter and extending between two locations thereon which are elevated with respect to said height adjacent said switch, a treadle of a flexible material attached to said step plate and overlying the same and extending continuously around the lower edge thereof and underneath said support member and being attached to the latter, and resilient means mounted on the end of said treadle extending underneath said support member and being disposed adjacent said switch and being in contact with said step plate for yieldingly urging the latter upwardly off 6 said support member to provide clearance for up and down movement of said step plate for operation of said switch.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,102,224 Ruppel Dec. 14, 1937 2,685,024 Jarvis July 27, 1954 2,812,422 Provi Nov. 5, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 103,059 Great Britain Jan. 11, 1917 341,674 Great Britain J an. 22, 1931 

